Latest news is that the STR website has no longer a french version and now has a japanese one.

Interesting.

seeing that the team is there purely for marketing reasons, and no longer has gerhard, and as they can't sell red bull in france but want to expand in japan, then it makes perfect sense to have sato not bourdais. plus sato is much more like a charging bull than bourdais. those ferrari's better watch out...

personally i'd like to have seen bourdais and sato, with buemi testing.

will bourdais have a shot at the other honda, or is that a dead cert for barri/senna?

seeing that the team is there purely for marketing reasons, and no longer has gerhard, and as they can't sell red bull in france but want to expand in japan, then it makes perfect sense to have sato not bourdais. plus sato is much more like a charging bull than bourdais. those ferrari's better watch out...

personally i'd like to have seen bourdais and sato, with buemi testing.

will bourdais have a shot at the other honda, or is that a dead cert for barri/senna?

Testing what? With no in-season testing, and limited milage for Friday what's the point of being a test driver?

Mateschitz: ''As far as selling the team is concerned I have no pressure at all. If there is to be a potential buyer, then he should guarantee me that he keeps Toro Rosso alive and he should point out how he wants to stabily finance it.''

''The cost-cutting measures in Formula 1 make sense and are welcome. We can save a lot of money because of them. For both our teams together we come to savings of around a € 100 million.''

According to Todt STR is to announce its second driver ''between now and the end of the week''. Which indeed corresponds with the team saying there will be an announcement ''very soon.''

Rumours have it that Sato doesn't actually have the Japanese sponsor money which he was said to have in December. As for the driving aspect, his times were apperantly too incosistant in comparison with Buemi and Bourdais.

So Bourdais will almost certainly be granted a second chance.

Next week Toro Rosso will be testing for three days at Jerez with the STR3. Buemi has probably covered the most mileage of any driver this winter. Hopefully Bourdais, in case it's really him that gets the seat, will get his fair share of testing as well. The Frenchman hasn't been behind the wheel since the 10th of December.

Q: So what's the predominant feeling after it's been announced Toro Rosso keeps you in the team ?
Bourdais: ''It's a good thing. It doesn't only allow me to do another season, it's also an opportunity to capatilise on the work done last year in order to have a better year this time round. It's also a relief. It hasn't been an easy time to go through. It was high time for things to start happening because, in little time from here, I would have been forced to make a decision which could have made me return to the USA. But the situation has finally settled down and I will get back to work.''

Q: Much has been said about the fight for the second Toro Rosso seat and the budget Sato would bring along. What was really to it ?
Bourdais: ''It's true that for a moment it was a story of big money and in that game I was sidelined because I wasn't in a position to bring money. It could be that Sato had found funding but I don't know anything about that. But with the crisis in Japan, it seemed that his plans fell through. At the same time, important decisions were taken by the FIA aiming to drastically cut the costs in F1 in 2009. Thanks to these measures Red Bull saves a € 100 million on both teams. Even though Toro Rosso's budget had gone down, money became less of a concern and from there I came back into in the fight for the contract. I didn't bring any money along. I accepted a low salary but it remains interesting. Being in the same financial conditions as Sato, the team prefered continuity and kept me because there were good things in 2008 eventhough not everything was perfect.''

Q: Thanks to the experience acquired last year you should now feel more comfortable...
Bourdais: ''That's obvious. I know the tracks and the organisation of the team, that allowes me to have the right approach to problems, if there are any. If I could re-do the 2008 season then it's certain that there are things I would do differently.''

Q: You will no longer be considered as a rookie in Formula 1 and the expectations from the team and the public will be high.''
Bourdais: ''I don't think I have used the excuse of being a rookie last year ! Formula 1 isn't environment that gives you the time to succeed. This year things will have to go well, that's clear. For a big part that will depend on he new car and the feeling I will have behind the wheel.''

Q: Last year you had trouble coming at easy in the cockpit of the STR3. Do you think that, thanks to your experience, you will be able to adapt to the new car or do you fear you'll be dependent on its technical characteristics ?
Bourdais: ''It would be a bit silly to say I will be able to adapt myself because I haven't been able to do that in 2008. It's clear that the way the 2009 car will react and the way I will feel way behind the wheel right from the start will give a big indication as to what I'll be able to do, (also keeping in mind the) the decreased budget and the limited amount of testing, things that won't change much during the season. It's impossible to make predicitons after the first few laps with the car. We will know a little more about it next Monday when the 2009 Red Bull will be shaken down, from there we can make some extrapolations. But it will only be the first week of March, with the first tests (with the STR4 - AFCA) in Italy and then at Barcelona the week after, that we will be set.''

Q: With the new technical regulations in place, what can we expect from Toro Rosso ?
Bourdais: ''Everything has been reset to zero, and once again: everything will depend on the quality of the new car. There will inevitably be chances and it's up to us to grab them. But we won't be unrealistic: saying we will be fighting for the title is a bit presumptuous ! The objective will be to score as many points as possible and to do just as well in the constructor championship as last year. If we do so, that would mean that I have basically scored a lot of points.''

Q: And what can we expect from you personally ?
Bourdais: ''The 2008 season is one marked by many missed opportunities. Each time we were well positioned in the points-zone something prevented us from actually scoring any. Now a new season starts on a toughly acquired basis. I know how big the task is. I know how difficult it is and, at the right value I will appreciate the results we're all hoping for.''

Q: Do you have a fixed objective or result for 2009 ?
Bourdais: ''No. It's about doing better. For everyone. It's clear that aiming for a win isn't realistic. Eventhough it could happen as we've seen last year with Vettel at Monza. Everything's possible because after all it's a sport. The objecive will be to finish in the points. Let's simply stick to that.''

Q: After Vettel last year your teammate will once again be a young driver of the age of 20. What can you tell about Buemi, someone rather unknown for the general public.
Bourdais: ''He's someone who also has a lot of qualities. He's demonstrated his class in Formula 3 and in GP2, where he didn't have cars to impress with. We will both try to get on the right way in order to score points and bring home the best results for the team.''

Q: Buemi apperantly isn't someone who's at a loss for words. In the middle of December, when he hadn't yet signed his contract with STR, he said that if he were to vote who his teammte was going to be, he'd vote for Button. Did that annoy you ?
Bourdais: ''Oh...(sighs). I'm almost 30 years old. I've heard a lot of talking in this environment. I've also learned that the media don't always exactly recount what the drivers intend to say. Equally, you should also distrust (different) interpretations of various individuals. We'll see how things evolve but the testsessions that I've done with Buemi have gone very well. I thought he's an open guy, not someone that talks rubbish. Between us, there won't be a number 1 and 2. We will have an identical car to try and give the best to the team.''

Q: During the Portimao test we've seen Buemi setting some good laptimes with a 2008 chassis. What kind of car will you be testing at Jerez on Thursday and Friday ?
Bourdais: ''The new car won't be presented before early March if the deadlines will be met. So at Jerez we will have the 2008 chassis and aerodynamics with 'extra's' from 2009. Last year's cars were a lot better aerodynamically. There's a lot less downforce now, which explains the good times from Toro Rosso: on average we were two seconds faster than the 2009 cars.''

Q: Doesn't this hinder you in the preperation for this season ?
Bourdais: ''Clearly it's not ideal. We will have an idea of our performance with the introduction of the Red Bull RB5 next week at Jerez. I hope there will be some positive surprises.''

Q: This championship is more unpredictable than the previous one. What do you make of all the new regulations ?
Bourdais: ''There are a lot of restrictions in order to improve the spectacle. It's difficult to anticipate on the outcome of these measures. We just have to be optimistic and hope that effectively there will be more possibilties to overtake and fight. With the old regulations it was very difficult to stay close behind the car in front. I hope that the number one objective of the current regulations - being able to (closely) follow the car in front - will turn into reality.''

Q: Strong rumours suggested you'll take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Peugeot on the 13th and 14th of June this year.
Bourdais: ''Next Monday I will talk about it during a press conference organised by Peugeot. But if I take part in the race then I actually want to win it as well !''

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Surely, he's going to race in Le Mans otherwise he wouldn't be there on Monday. When is the last time an F1 driver competed in F1 for an entire season and participated in Le Mans in the same year as well ?

So 16 years ago then...apperantly STR doesn't have a problem with it. Surely Bourdais will also have to test the Peugeot car a number of times, go to their factory etc. But then there's no F1 in-season testing so there's time for those things I reckon.

Originally posted by AFCA So 16 years ago then...apperantly STR doesn't have a problem with it. Surely Bourdais will also have to test the Peugeot car a number of times, go to their factory etc. But then there's no F1 in-season testing so there's time for those things I reckon.

On the fourth of March the STR4 will 'come to life'. The new car will be tested for the first time by Buemi at the Adria circuit in Italy, behind closed doors that is.

Tost: ''Officially we will present the car in Barcelona the week after.'' At the moment the lights in factory don't go out, the car is being assembled now. Tost: ''The upper wishbones of the rearsuspension are still missing. There was a problem manufacturing the parts.'' Today the Ferrari V8 is to be mounted in the car for the first time.

Things will start to get serious in Barcelona where testing will take place from the 9th till the 12th. Then Buemi and Bourdais will both get two days. When things go well Bourdais will shake down the second chassis in the 17th of March at Vallelunga. On the 19th of March the cars and equipment will be flown to Melbourne.

So far STR has only been testing with last year's car. The team even did without a 2009 spec aerodynamic package. ''That saved us money. A rookie like Buemi doesn't learn a lot. He should first get to grips with the basics, that can also be done with the old car.

Tost kept a close eye on the performance of the RB5, eventhough he always points out that more components than the engine set the STR and the RBR apart. KERS, the cooling system, the innerpart of the airbox and the rearsuspension are different.

However, the laptimes of the RB5 are a good indication for the STR4. ''The new car looks good. I'm very satisfied with the job done there. Up till now we can absolutely be optimistic. (But) I will only get the first real indication when the car will go on track in Barcelona.''

I t was one incident but Sato's over taking on Alonso was some of which I recall to be the best of Formula One. Naturally Alonso on Michael at several races were as good, Mika and Michael battling at Spa over Zonta was awesome as well. It is clear that Mika will not fit in any formula One car by now, either.

So is STR running a chasis built by its parent company Red Bull? Did the FIA ammend the rules to allow for this? I'm not complaining I just figure they were out because of the create your own chasis rule.

BTW now SATO says thathe does not want to be the thrid driver neither for RBR, nor for STR. Good move, I guess. It will open up chances for young star and if DIdi wants to make japanese market freindly to him he must give Sato a seat. The chances are... limited, for sure.